Did you know that your skin is not only the largest organ in your body, but that it also plays a vital role in protecting you from environmental elements? Your skin's microbiome, which consists of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses, is crucial for maintaining healthy skin and overall immunity.
The local beauty brand Pure Culture understands the importance of a healthy skin microbiome and aims to restore and cultivate it through their biome-friendly skincare products. In an exclusive interview with one of its co-founders Kim Reyes-Palanca, Preview got insights into the brand's creation and its commitment to sustainability.
What Is Pure Culture?
Pure Culture is a biome-friendly skincare brand that was born out of the passion and friendship of three moms.
Alex Gentry, already skilled in soap making and natural formulations, wanted to explore skincare during the pandemic. Kim, with a background in beauty, longed for a creative outlet in the beauty industry. Rina de la Calzada, coming from advertising, shared the vision of supporting a local business. Together, they embarked on creating a skincare brand that not only prioritized natural and vegan formulations, but also contributed to the Filipino beauty landscape.
“All of us, at the same time, wanted [to contribute] to a local business. So, it was really a passion project at first,” said Kim. “This is our pandemic baby. We knew right away it had to be something that contributed to the [Filipino] beauty landscape, to think about how it is to be world-class–global yet local.”
Aside from the role Pure Culture plays in the local beauty scene, the founders looked into the nitty-gritty concerns of Filipino skin, one of which is sensitivity. According to Kim, probiotics were a vital part from the start, given their context as moms with children who have allergies.
How Does Pure Culture’s Biome-Friendly Skincare Benefit the Skin?
In fact, one of the key aspects of Pure Culture's skincare philosophy is the integration of probiotics. Probiotics have been extensively studied for their positive effects on gut health, and similarly, they can benefit the skin when applied topically.
“If you have food for the gut for your bacteria–you have prebiotics and probiotics and postbiotics–you also have that for your skin,” Kim explained. The co-founder expounded that the skin microbiome is a community of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that have a "symbiotic relationship" with the person and each other.
But when someone isn't exposed to nature, they're made more vulnerable and sensitive, hence the cause of hives and dust allergies. This comes especially when they stay inside an air-conditioned room for a good part of the day. "[It was] because in the beginning, you were not exposed. You were too clean. Right now, people have been studying that there will be a lot of sensitivities again. You're killing the good bacteria with alcohol and disinfectants because of the pandemic,” she explained.
Pure Culture addresses this issue by nurturing the skin's microbiome with clean and probiotic-rich ingredients, such as Lactobacillus lysate derived from fermented plants.
“You feed your skin by nurturing it. How do you nourish them? We feed them with the probiotics that we have in our skincare. All of our products have probiotics and we know that it is where the immediate glow comes from,” she says.
Is Pure Culture Sustainable?
Sustainability is a core value of Pure Culture. They ensure that their products are environmentally friendly and sustainable by sourcing ingredients like lato (Philippine green caviar) from sustainable harvests in Bohol. Aside from that, they also partner with world-class labs that prioritize eco-friendly practices.
As part of its commitment to social entrepreneurship, Pure Culture is a member of One Percent for the Planet, which actively contributes to environmental causes. They take conscious steps in their packaging design and continuously work on improving their formulations to meet the highest standards of safety and effectiveness.
Pure Culture also happens to be the first Philippine brand to be Safe Cosmetics Australia certified, ensuring that the products that they sell aren't just safe for people, but also safe for the environment. Their other certifications include Australian Certified Toxic-Free, meaning their formulations are free-from chemicals associated with carcinogenic chemicals that are commonly found in cosmetics, personal care, and household products. They’re also certified naturally-made safe, allergy-certified, cruelty-free, and vegan-friendly.
SHOP: Our Favorite Pure Culture Products
Bulgarian Rose Everything Elixir, P1185, PURE CULTURE, Lazada
Bulgarian Rose Glam Gold Satin Creme, P1780, PURE CULTURE, Lazada
Bulgarian Rose Sublime Serum, P1380, PURE CULTURE, Lazada
Wild Algae Super Skin Tonic, P955, PURE CULTURE, Lazada
Wild Algae Glow Up Serum, P1080, PURE CULTURE, Lazada
Wild Algae Quench Creme, P1425, PURE CULTURE, Lazada
For more information about Pure Culture, visit their website. You can also shop for their products online through Shopee, Lazada, and Zalora or at a Beauty Bar near you.
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